This spring had the most beautiful building surrounding it. Outside and the entrance you can still see the Taisho era building including an amazing little booth for collecting the entrance fee. Now it is just a storage area as fees are placed in a collection box--like most of the smaller neighborhood baths. Going down the stairs is like entering a new world. The high vine covered windows letting a gentle light in, old wood with layers of pain exposed by time, this bath feels like an old artist's studio. The water was also outstanding, but in Beppu that is a given. The wooden plug to allow the hot water in and hoses to add tap water to cool were also fun to experiment with.